Northern muriqui[1]
Female and infant, in Caratinga, Brazil.
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[3]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Atelidae
Genus: Brachyteles
Species:
B. hypoxanthus
Binomial name
Brachyteles hypoxanthus
(Kuhl, 1820)
Northern muriqui range

The northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) is one of two species of muriqui. They are also known as woolly spider monkey because they exhibit the woollen pelt of woolly monkeys and the long prehensile tail of spider monkeys. Muriquis are the largest extant New World monkeys. They can reach 4.3 feet or 1.3 metres long and weight up to 7 to 10 kilograms (15 to 22 lb).[4] The northern muriqui is a critically endangered species, it is estimated that there are less than 1000 mature individuals in the wild.[2] The species is unusual among primates in that they display egalitarian tendencies in their social relationships. This species is endemic to the Atlantic Forest region of Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Bahia. Their diets, travel patterns and reproductive cycles are seasonally determined. The size of each group can fluctuate as females will move between groups of monkeys.

Morphology and identification

Northern muriquis have natural pale facial marks.

Northern muriquis exhibit features that allow them to utilize all of their limbs and tail for travel and obtaining food items. As they spend much of their life in the canopy of forests, they use brachiation as a form of locomotion utilizing all four limbs and their tail.[5] Evolutionary features that further aid these large atelids are elongated hook-like fingers, and shoulder that allows for a wide range of movement.[4] As these monkeys are primarily suited for life in trees, they still venture down to the ground to drink from water sources, consume soil or to obtain ripe fruit that has fallen.[5] Northern muriquis can be individually recognized by their natural markings and facial features, such as fur color and patterning, ear shape, and face shape and pigmentation.[6] Although southern muriqui exhibit sexual dimorphism in canine length, northern muriqui show none. In another difference, northern muriqui retain vestigial thumbs that are completely absent in their sister species.[7]

Ecology

Diet

Northern muriqui are frugivorous and folivorous, but they also rely on seeds, flowers, nectar, bark, twigs, stems, vines and soil to supplement additional nutritional needs.[8][5][9] Northern muriqui consume the fruits of Margaritaria nobilis, Andira species, Anadenanthera species, Plathymenia foliolosa, Palicourea tetraphylla, Psychotria wamingii, Genipa americana and Carpotroche brasiliensis, as well as the seeds of Mabea fistulifera.[9] The amount of what each group eats depends on seasonality, wherein they will consume foods higher in calories, which results in higher fruit consumption during the wet season, and increased leaf consumption in the dry season.[10] This affect how groups of B. hypoxanthus travel as they forage for food, as bigger family groups need to travel further to attain adequate food sources. The muriqui also utilize vertical niches when foraging, as they can access all levels of forest, from the floor to the canopy. Muriqui group home ranges overlap, so unrelated groups of muriqui will avoid each other by traveling to or foraging for food by using these niche levels.[11]

Social structure

Northern muriqui live in egalitarian, fission-fusion societies,[11] where the males are philopatric, and females will leave the natal group to join other muriqui groups at an average age of 6 years old before they reach puberty.[12] Male muriqui have been documented to form social cliques within their natal groups, with groups that are differentiated between older males and younger males.[13] Males display tendencies to form cooperative associations between cliques, and therefore leads to diminished intragroup conflicts compared to other species of primate. These tendencies make themselves apparent during mating season as there is little to no aggression displayed between males vying for mating opportunities, or when dealing with other natal groups of muriqui when traveling or defending their own homerange.[13] Different muriqui groups will interact with each other as group home ranges overlap.[11] During these interactions, females can enter new groups by vocalizing and interacting with new group members by hugging or touching them. Female muriquis are more independent than males; they leave their natal groups at an age of about six years.[14] Male muriquis have almost no interaction with infants. When there is an interaction between the two, the infant would be the one to initiate it.[15] Muriqui social groups are dominated by females, and males will continue to associate closely with their mothers into adulthood. It is through their mothers that adult males gain access to more females.[16]

Mating and reproduction

The Northern muriqui's reproductive cycle is based on the seasonality of their environment. Infants are generally born during the dry season so that when there is a high amount of fruit production during the wet season, they can access calorie dense foods as they are weaned off of their mothers milk.[10] Females will on average be ready to mate at the age of nine, wherein they can copulate with several partners in order to conceive, however, some males can be shown preferential treatment by females.[7] Evidence points to having multiple partners in order to confuse paternity, limit male aggression, or improving odds of fertilization.[17] The gestation period for northern muriquis is a little over 7 months. The visual determination of sex can be seen within a week or so of birth, based on the shape and positioning of their genitalia.[18] There is no definitive research on the average life span of the northern muriqui, there are documented individuals reaching past the age of 30 years of age.[19]

Conservation and status

B. hypoxanthus is one of the world's most critically endangered primates, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.[2] It is threatened by hunting and (in common with most other primates of the region) destruction and fragmentation of its Atlantic Forest habitat.[2] Among the scattered populations of northern muriqui only one population, living in Caratinga is considered, as of now, viable for the next 100 years.[20] The northern muriqui also suffers from very low genetic diversity[21] and is poorly understood, causing problems in conservation.[22] The estimated wild population of northern muriquis was raised from about 500 to 1000 individuals in 2005, due to new discoveries and research in other forests.[18]

Predation

Northern muriqui can be preyed upon by ocelots, tayra, and some birds of prey. If a threat or predator is observed, a group of muriqui will vocally call out to warn others.[5]

Human evolution relevance

The northern muriqui has been argued to be important to understanding human evolution, since it is one of the few primates that has tolerant, nonhierarchial relationships among and between males and females, a feature shared with hunter-gatherer humans, but which contrasts with the ranked relationships of most other primates.[23] Group aggression is also rare.[23] The success of males fathering offspring links to the maternal investment they gain from their mothers and coresident female kin. This provides support to the grandmother hypothesis.[23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Groves, C. P. (2005). "Order Primates". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. 1 2 3 4 de Melo, F.R.; Boubli, J.P.; Mittermeier, R.A.; Jerusalinsky, L.; Tabacow, F.P.; Ferraz, D.S.; Talebi, M. (2021). "Brachyteles hypoxanthus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T2994A191693399. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T2994A191693399.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  3. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. 1 2 Iurck, Maria F.; Nowak, Matthew G.; Costa, Leny C.M.; Mendes, Sérgio L.; Ford, Susan M.; Strier, Karen B. (2013). "Feeding and Resting Postures of Wild Northern Muriquis ( B rachyteles hypoxanthus ): Northern Muriqui Postural Behavior". American Journal of Primatology. 75 (1): 74–87. doi:10.1002/ajp.22085. PMID 23070942. S2CID 20692405.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Mourthé, Ítalo M.C.; Guedes, Danusa; Fidelis, Janaína; Boubli, Jean P.; Mendes, Sérgio L.; Strier, Karen B. (2007). "Ground use by northern muriquis (Brachyteles hypoxanthus)". American Journal of Primatology. 69 (6): 706–712. doi:10.1002/ajp.20405. PMID 17253634. S2CID 27932823.
  6. ↑ Chaves, Paulo B.; Magnus, Tielli; Jerusalinsky, Leandro; Talebi, Maurício; Strier, Karen B.; Breves, Paula; Tabacow, Fernanda; Teixeira, Rodrigo H. F.; Moreira, Leandro; Hack, Robson O. E.; Milagres, Adriana; Pissinatti, Alcides; Melo, Fabiano R.; Pessutti, Cecília; Mendes, Sérgio L.; Margarido, Tereza C.; Fagundes, Valéria; Di Fiore, Anthony; Bonatto, Sandro L. (December 2019). "Phylogeographic evidence for two species of muriqui (genus Brachyteles )". American Journal of Primatology. 81 (12): e23066. doi:10.1002/ajp.23066. hdl:10923/20562. PMID 31736121. S2CID 182008678.
  7. 1 2 Lemos de Sá, Rosa M.; Pope, Theresa R.; Struhsaker, Thomas T.; Glander, Kenneth E. (1993). "Sexual dimorphism in canine length of woolly spider monkeys (Brachyteles arachnoides, E. Geoffroy 1806)". International Journal of Primatology. 14 (5): 755–763. doi:10.1007/BF02192189. hdl:10161/6405. ISSN 0164-0291. S2CID 10300226.
  8. ↑ de Carvalho Jr, Oswaldo; Ferrari, Stephen F.; Strier, Karen B. (2004-07-01). "Diet of a muriqui group (Brachyteles arachnoides) in continuous primary forest". Primates. 45 (3): 201–204. doi:10.1007/s10329-004-0079-7. ISSN 1610-7365. PMID 15042413. S2CID 19208306.
  9. 1 2 "Brachyteles hypoxanthus (Northern muriqui)". Animal Diversity Web.
  10. 1 2 Strier, Karen B.; Mendes, Sergio L.; Santos, Rogerio R. (2001). "Timing of births in sympatric brown howler monkeys (Alouatta fusca clamitans) and northern muriquis (Brachyteles arachnoides hypoxanthus)". American Journal of Primatology. 55 (2): 87–100. doi:10.1002/ajp.1042. ISSN 0275-2565. PMID 11668527. S2CID 19959494.
  11. 1 2 3 Lima, Marlon; Mendes, Sérgio L.; Strier, Karen B. (2019). "Habitat Use in a Population of the Northern Muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus)". International Journal of Primatology. 40 (4–5): 470–495. doi:10.1007/s10764-019-00098-7. ISSN 0164-0291. S2CID 199378037.
  12. ↑ Martins, Waldney P.; Strier, Karen B. (2004-01-01). "Age at first reproduction in philopatric female muriquis ( Brachyteles arachnoides hypoxanthus )". Primates. 45 (1): 63–67. doi:10.1007/s10329-003-0057-5. ISSN 0032-8332. PMID 14505181. S2CID 25463269.
  13. 1 2 Tokuda, Marcos; Boubli, Jean P.; Izar, Patrícia; Strier, Karen B. (2012-04-01). "Social cliques in male northern muriquis Brachyteles hypoxanthus". Current Zoology. 58 (2): 342–352. doi:10.1093/czoolo/58.2.342. ISSN 2396-9814.
  14. ↑ Strier, KB, SL Mendes, and K. "Web of Knowledge [v5.6]." Genetic Diversity and Population History of a Critically Endangered Primate, the Northern Muriqui 17.2 (2011): 53-69. Web.
  15. ↑ Oliveria Guimaraes, Vanessa. "Adult Male-infant Interactions in Wild Muriquis (Brachyteles Arachnoides Hypoxanthus)." N.p., Oct. 2001. Web. 26 Oct. 2012.
  16. ↑ Barry, Doug (9 November 2011). "All The Cool Monkey Moms Help Their Sons Get Laid". Jezebel. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  17. ↑ Possami, Carla. "Socio-Sexual Behavior of Female Northern Muriquis." Socio-Sexual Behavior of Female Northern Muriquis 69.7 (2007). Web.
  18. 1 2 Strier, Karen B, Jean P. Boubli, Carla B Possamai, and Se ́ rgio L. Mendes4. "Population Demography of Northern Muriquis (Brachyteles Hypoxanthus) at the Estac ̧ a ̃ O Biolo ́ Gica De Caratinga/Reserva Particular Do Patrimoˆ Nio Natural-Felı`ciano Miguel Abdala, Minas Gerais, Brazil."AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (2006): 1-3.
  19. ↑ Strier, Karen B. (2014), Yamagiwa, Juichi; Karczmarski, Leszek (eds.), "Northern Muriqui Monkeys: Behavior, Demography, and Conservation", Primates and Cetaceans, Primatology Monographs, Tokyo: Springer Japan, pp. 233–247, doi:10.1007/978-4-431-54523-1_12, ISBN 978-4-431-54522-4, retrieved 2022-04-12
  20. ↑ Brito, Daniel; Grelle, Carlos Eduardo V. (2006). "Estimating Minimum Area of Suitable Habitat and Viable Population Size for the Northern Muriqui". Biodiversity and Conservation. Springer. 15: 4197–4210. doi:10.1007/s10531-005-3575-1. S2CID 23807488.
  21. ↑ Chaves, Paulo B.; Alvarenga, Clara S.; Possamai, Carla de B.; Dias, Luiz G.; Boubli, Jean P.; Strier, Karen B.; Mendes, Sérgio L.; Fagundes, Valéria (3 June 2011). "Genetic Diversity and Population History of a Critically Endangered Primate, the Northern Muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus)". PLOS ONE. 6 (6): e20722. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...620722C. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020722. PMC 3108597. PMID 21694757.
  22. ↑ Daniel, Brito. "Lack of Adequate Taxonomic Knowledge May Hinder Endemic Mammal Conservation in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest." Google Scholar. N.p., 2004. Web. 26 Oct. 2012.
  23. 1 2 3 Strier, K.B., Chaves, P.B., Mendes, S.L., Fagundes, V., Di Fiore, A. (2011). Low paternity skew and the influence of maternal kin in an egalitarian, patrilocal primate, PNAS, 108, 18915–18919 doi:10.1073/pnas.1116737108
Silhouette of adult using its prehensile tail
Sitting muriqui
At Caratinga Biological Station
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